“But I have never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life.”

Cruz was a thorn in Boehner's side during several standoffs with the Obama administration, and some of his actions likely cost Boehner support from his own conference.

Cruz, a 2016 presidential hopeful, met with House members of the conservative Freedom Caucus — an unusual move for a freshman senator — in 2013 and pushed them to fight to defund ObamaCare. The effort eventually led to a government shutdown that hurt the GOP politically.

Boehner reportedly called Cruz a “jackass” over the issue.

At Stanford, a Boehner unburdened by the shackles of the office, reportedly drew laughter and smiles from the attendees as he struck a more informal tone than he had in past previous appearances.